West Boca hospital expands neonatal unit

Kayla Ann Manganello was born 17 weeks prematurely at the West Boca Medical Center.

She was 12 1/2 inches long and weighed 1 pound, 7 ounces. Her chances of survival were less than 10 percent.

But, after 105 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Kayla went home.

Today she is 2, and her father, Tony Manganello, of Boynton Beach, boasts that she is in the 75th percentile in height and weight for children her age. He knows many preemies aren't so fortunate. "I've been to funerals for little kids who didn't fare as well," he said.

The need for more success stories like Kayla's prompted the West Boca Medical Center to expand its neonatal intensive care unit by 10 beds, from 24 to 34. The hospital held a groundbreaking ceremony May 7 for the $3.5 million, 3,200-square-foot addition. Seven children age 2 to teenagers served as groundbreakers. All were once patients in the NICU and were selected by the March of Dimes of West Palm Beach, which partners with the hospital.

Expanding NICU is important to the community, said Larry Coomes, the hospital's chief operating officer.

Last year, 302 babies, more than 13 percent of the 2,254 deliveries at the medical center west of Boca Raton, were admitted to NICU, with an average stay of one to six weeks. Coomes said women are having babies later in life, and some are becoming pregnant through in-vitro fertilization. Both factors increase the risk of premature birth.

Timothy O'Connor, spokesman for the Palm Beach County Health Department, said that 2,184 of the 15,702 births in the county in 2006 were less than full term, and nearly 2 percent were less than 32 weeks along.

One hundred and fifty-three deaths occurred in infants born in Palm Beach County at 20 weeks or more gestation.

"The numbers for 2007 are still being compiled but will be close to these as we trend around 15,000 births per year," O'Connor said.

Other Palm Beach County hospitals that operate neonatal intensive care units are Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach, Boca Raton Community Hospital, Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach and Wellington Regional Medical Center.

Nikolas Dutra, the son of Jason and Tami Dutra, of Deerfield Beach, was born prematurely at West Boca Medical Center more than five years ago. He was in NICU for seven weeks after being born nine weeks early.

Despite a birth weight of less than 2 pounds and being only 13 inches long, his mother said he surprised everyone. The only drug he needs today is a hormone to stimulate his growth rate and help with his asthma, which his mother says has greatly improved.

"I am grateful for everyone who helps out the March of Dimes and the nurses and doctors who helped him, because that's why he's here today," she said.